Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize Longlist - The Diary of Lies by Philip Miller

Bloody Scotland starts in less than a week and I'm only on to the third of my reviews of the McIlvanney Prize longlist books. I'm sorry this is such a slow slog - sometimes reviewing comes easy, sometimes not! Not because of the books, not at all, just being in the wrong headspace. And for various reasons I'm in that place now. But the important thing is reading (and crocheting) is keeping me going! I think these reviews will still be going up after the festival, sorry. Right, enough rambling, welcome to my review of  The Diary of Lies by Philip Miller which, since I started this review (told you it was bad) has been shortlisted for the prize, alongside four others (read about it here). 

 

The Blurb

Shona Sandison might be about to get her biggest scoop yet – if she can make it to the end of the investigation alive.

In a darkening, post-COVID world, fearless investigative reporter Shona Sandison is seeking meaning – and her next big story. A secret contact inside the government has promised her something huge, but she has no idea of the danger she is in. Meanwhile, her old friend Hector Stricken has taken on a position in communications for a new state agency, where he stumbles across a sinister, top-secret project codenamed 'Grendel'. And on the Scottish coast, an ageing spy chief, living in seclusion, grieves his murdered son – and contemplates revenge.

Connecting them all is an insidious conspiracy within the UK's most powerful institutions, a rot so deep that the only way to cure it may be to cut it out – or burn the whole thing down.

My Review

This, I think, is the third book in a series but the first I've read. The fact that I hadn't read the previous entries did not hinder me any as all the information I needed was there with brief references to incidents that had gone before I met Shona. 

Shona Sandison is fresh from winning a journalism award when her interest is piqued about another possible story. I learned very quickly that Shona is a woman who'll let pretty much nothing stop her in the search for the truth and another story. 

'Grendel' is clearly something that somebody seriously wants to stay hidden but that only seems to push Shona on further. The story is action packed as Shona attempts to find out what 'Grendel' actually is and why it needs to be kept secret. She finds herself in jeopardy on several occasions, as do other people whom she comes into contact with. 

I loved Shona. She's feisty, experienced and determined. And flawed. I genuinely feared for her at points in this book! She feels very real, a standout character. We also meet the mysterious Mr Wolf. We learn a lot about him through his journal, but it's a while before we find out where he fits in, and I couldn't work it out until it waIs revealed. 

The Diary of Lies is a neat, well written crime thriller. The tension builds throughout the book and there is no shortage of action and peril along the way. The denouement is definitely satisfying, and it was a great introduction to Shona. And I absolutely loved Inspector Benedict Reculver! I need to find out more about his back story. 

The Author

Philip was a journalist for twenty years, as Arts Correspondent for The Scotsman, The Sunday Times in Scotland, and The Herald, twice being named Arts Writer of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards.